To describe the rate of surgical intervention to the intranasal structures for making a sufficient bony ostium in endonasal dacryocystorhinostomy.

Video records of 52 Korean patients (66 eyes) who underwent endonasal dacryocystorhinostomy between January 2010 and December 2010 for primary nasolacrimal duct obstruction were reviewed. To locate the internal common punctum in the lateral nasal wall, a transcanalicular illumination device consisting of disposable vitrectomy light pipe was introduced horizontally through the canaliculus. The relative position of the internal common punctum to the operculum of the middle turbinate was divided into 4 types and analyzed according to the intranasal surgical procedures necessary.

Internal common punctum was located posterior-superior to the operculum of the middle turbinate in 37 cases (56%), anterior-superior in 16 cases (24%), posterior-inferior in 11 cases (17%) and anterior-inferior in 2 cases (3%). To expose the bony ostium, partial removal of the operculum of the middle turbinate was required in 63 cases (95%), anterior middle turbinectomy in 43 cases (65%), uncinectomy in 62 cases (94%) and opening of the agger nasi cell in 45 cases (68%).

In a majority of patients, partial removal of the middle turbinate, uncinate process and agger nasi cell were necessary to create a sufficient bony ostium. The transcanalicular illumination device is useful to locate the lacrimal sac and can be helpful in understanding the intranasal structures which need to be removed during surgery.